Saw my new psychiatrist today and she's upping my dose of Effexor. I came home with the intent if going to work and could not shake anxious feelings. All I keep thinking is how I don't want to rehash my past and hurt feelings. I just want to be able to sleep and feel better. I know nothing bad will happen if I go to work but it's like I just can't. I'm trying hard not to have a panic attack and the thought of leaving the house right now makes me nervous. I don't know what's happening but it sucks.

I’m on Effexor too. I been on it for almost 7 weeks. 18 days on 75mg and I thought it was working great until today. I woke up with horrible anxiety that makes my Depersonalization/derealization symptoms worse. Thank God I took a Xanax and it calmed me down. Do you take any Benzo with your Efferxor? And how many Mg are you on?

I'm glad you had something to help. I do have Xanax but don't take it unless 100% necessary because of the addictive properties. It's .5 mg for Xanax and just got my 75 mg prescription today for Effexor

It's intermittent. I'll wake up a few times a week but can sleep the other nights. I'm also working with a therapist and the psychiatrist​said she thinks working through the anxiety and figuring out my triggers will help the sleeping. I've also researched foods that help with anxiety. Going to get some camomile tea today. I've heard Omega 3 helps as well.

Do you have big pupils with Effexor? I have huge pupils first thing in the morning and through the day at different times. I know it’s a side effect of the medication but I been on it for 7 weeks now so I don’t know why it hasn’t gone away.

I've got Xanax for that but it's addictive and I've already had issues with alcohol in the past and have family members who were alcoholics so I'm trying not to take it unless I really need it. She's talked about another type of medication that isn't addictive for me to use.

Okay , so to be truthfully, and honest there's nothing wrong with being scared . that's the first step admitting your fears. the second step is talking to yourself and letting yourself know that you are fine and everything is okay because you know what's going, on within yourself , so try and calm your body down , as much as possible . third step is just doing whatever it is that you are okay with doing, take baby steps . go take the garbage out, see how you feel with doing just that. next see if you can go to your local grocery store and see how that feels . once your body get the sense of your fears and that your are over coming them, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore , the panic attacks will not come back or even think about happening. Don't ever be afraid to do something you wanna do, positive thinking is the best solution . I know how it is to feel scared and think of it coming back , I also know that this is something that have to be dealt with and slowly I am dealing with it. just take it one day at a time, I know you already strong because you are here talking about it, and just know every lil thing gonna b alright . I tell myself that every single day. please keep me posted with your progress .

Hi Amy- I’m also having trouble leaving the house. I’m on Effexor, Wellbutrin, and Trazadone. I haven’t worked in 3 years and I’m trying to get on disability. Do you work outside the home? Have a stressful job that’s making you anxious?

Hey Karenk2. Yes, I do work outside the home. I actually have two jobs. One is not stressful at all, but the other deals with a constant stream of people which takes its toll. I also have a lot of financial stress at home which contributes to my anxiety. I am learning how to take one thing at a time and actually deal with my emotions instead of eating my way through them. It's a process regardless of where we are in the journey. Sometimes it feels as if it's a never-ending battle, but one day it will end and I will have control.